GB2175884A

GB2175884A - Pack for smoking articles

Info

Publication number: GB2175884A
Application number: GB08514422A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Zdeniek Singer
Original assignee: Fabriques de Tabac Reunies SA
Current assignee: Philip Morris Products SA
Priority date: 1985-06-07
Filing date: 1985-06-07
Publication date: 1986-12-10
Also published as: GB8514422D0; GB2175884B

Abstract

A cigarette pack comprises front 10, rear 12, side 14, 16, bottom 18 and top 20 walls. The top wall together with upper portions of the front 10', rear 12' and side 14',16', walls forms a lid, hinged along the line 22 between the upper and lower portions of the rear wall. The vertices between the front, rear, side and bottom walls are truncated, to provide a pack which does not damage the smoker's pocket or cause the smoker discomfort while carrying the pack. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Novel pack for smoking articles This invention relates to a novel pack for smoking articles, such as cigarettes. It finds particular application in so called flip-top packs.

Cigarettes are commonly packed in either soft packs, consisting of a foil inner sleeve surrounded by a paper outer sleeve, or rigid packs consisting of a foil inner sleeve surrounded by a container of thin card. In one type of rigid pack, the flip-top pack, the upper portion of the thin card container is cut and folded to provide a hinged, flip-top, lid. Both soft and rigid packs are wrapped in cellophane (RTM) for storage.

The rigid flip-top packs have the advantage that they protect their contents from being crushed whilst being carried by the smoker.

However, because of their shape and rigidity, their vertices are relatively sharp and hard, and can cause wear to the smoker's pockets and discomfort to the smoker.

According to the present invention, there is provided a pack for smoking articles having a bottom end wall, a top end wall, side walls and front and rear walls, in which the vertices formed between at least one of the end walls, the side walls and the front and rear walls of the pack are blunt. In one preferred embodiment, the vertices are truncated. In another preferred embodiment, zones between the side walls of the pack and the bottom wall of the pack curve through substantially 90 to provide rounded corners to the lower end of the pack. Blanks for such packs are also provided by the invention.

The invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cigarette pack according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a blank for the cigarette pack of Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows a cigarette pack according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 shows a blank for the cigarette pack of Fig. 3; and Figure 5 shows another cigarette pack according to the 2nd embodiment of the invention.

Figs. 1 and 2 show, respectively, a flip-top cigarette pack, and a blank therefore, according to a first embodiment of the invention.

The cigarette pack is largely of conventional appearance, having front 10 and rear 12 walls, side walls 14,16, a bottom wall 18 and a top wall 20. The top wall, together with upper portions of the front, rear and side walls 10', 12', 14', 16', forms a flip-top lid, which is hinged along a line between the upper 12' and lower 12 portions of the rear wall. Cuts between the upper and lower portions of the front and side walls allow the lid to open.

The vertices 24a, b, c, d, made by the front 10, rear 12 and side 14,16 walls with the bottom wall 18 are truncated, leaving small holes. The blunt vertices thus provided do not cause discomfort to the smoker nor wear to the pocket in which he carries the pack.

The blank of Fig. 2 is assembled in a generally conventional manner to provide the pack of Fig. 1. Those parts of the pack discussed above are identified by like reference numerals. The remainder are conventional, and do not require further description. The cut-outs numbered 24a, b, c, d, provide the truncated vertices 24a, b, c, d, in the assembled pack.

In a second embodiment of the invention, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a cigarette pack again comprises front 40, rear 42, side 44,46, bottom 48 and top 50 walls. The top wall 50, together with upper portions of the front, rear and side walls, 40', 42', 44', 46' forms a fliptop lid, which is hinged along a line 52 between the upper 42' and lower 42 portions of the rear wall. Cuts between the upper and lower portions of the front and side walls allow the lid to open.

The corners 54a, b, between the side walls 44, 46 and the bottom wall 48 are rounded.

This, as is best seen from Fig. 4, which shows a blank from which the pack of Fig. 3 may be formed, is achieved by creased zones between the lower side wall reinforcing flaps 56,58 and the bottom wall reinforcing flaps 60,62. When the pack is assembled, in a generally conventional manner, from the blank, the creased zones form the rounded corners 54a, b, between the side 44, 46 and bottom 48 walls.

These rounded corners protect the smoker and his pockets in the same way as the truncated vertices of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

As can be seen in Fig. 5, the lid may also have rounded corners 64a, b, between the top wall 50 and the upper portions 44', 46' of the side walls of the pack. These may be achieved by the provision of creased zones (not shown) on the blank of Fig. 4 between the upper side wall reinforcing flaps 56', 58' and the top wall reinforcing flaps 66,68. Similarly, in the pack of Fig. 1, the vertices made by the upper portions 10', 12', 14', 16' of the front, rear and side walls with the top wall 18 may be truncated.

It will be appreciated that the provision of blunt vertices is not restricted to flip-top packs, but may be applied to any type of rigid cigarette pack such as a slide and shell type pack.

1. A pack of smoking articles having a bottom end wall, a top end wall, side walls and front and rear walls, in which the vertices

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Novel pack for smoking articles This invention relates to a novel pack for smoking articles, such as cigarettes. It finds particular application in so called flip-top packs. Cigarettes are commonly packed in either soft packs, consisting of a foil inner sleeve surrounded by a paper outer sleeve, or rigid packs consisting of a foil inner sleeve surrounded by a container of thin card. In one type of rigid pack, the flip-top pack, the upper portion of the thin card container is cut and folded to provide a hinged, flip-top, lid. Both soft and rigid packs are wrapped in cellophane (RTM) for storage. The rigid flip-top packs have the advantage that they protect their contents from being crushed whilst being carried by the smoker. However, because of their shape and rigidity, their vertices are relatively sharp and hard, and can cause wear to the smoker's pockets and discomfort to the smoker. According to the present invention, there is provided a pack for smoking articles having a bottom end wall, a top end wall, side walls and front and rear walls, in which the vertices formed between at least one of the end walls, the side walls and the front and rear walls of the pack are blunt. In one preferred embodiment, the vertices are truncated. In another preferred embodiment, zones between the side walls of the pack and the bottom wall of the pack curve through substantially 90 to provide rounded corners to the lower end of the pack. Blanks for such packs are also provided by the invention. The invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cigarette pack according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a blank for the cigarette pack of Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows a cigarette pack according to a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 shows a blank for the cigarette pack of Fig. 3; and Figure 5 shows another cigarette pack according to the 2nd embodiment of the invention. Figs. 1 and 2 show, respectively, a flip-top cigarette pack, and a blank therefore, according to a first embodiment of the invention. The cigarette pack is largely of conventional appearance, having front 10 and rear 12 walls, side walls 14,16, a bottom wall 18 and a top wall 20. The top wall, together with upper portions of the front, rear and side walls 10', 12', 14', 16', forms a flip-top lid, which is hinged along a line between the upper 12' and lower 12 portions of the rear wall. Cuts between the upper and lower portions of the front and side walls allow the lid to open. The vertices 24a, b, c, d, made by the front 10, rear 12 and side 14,16 walls with the bottom wall 18 are truncated, leaving small holes. The blunt vertices thus provided do not cause discomfort to the smoker nor wear to the pocket in which he carries the pack. The blank of Fig. 2 is assembled in a generally conventional manner to provide the pack of Fig. 1. Those parts of the pack discussed above are identified by like reference numerals. The remainder are conventional, and do not require further description. The cut-outs numbered 24a, b, c, d, provide the truncated vertices 24a, b, c, d, in the assembled pack. In a second embodiment of the invention, shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a cigarette pack again comprises front 40, rear 42, side 44,46, bottom 48 and top 50 walls. The top wall 50, together with upper portions of the front, rear and side walls, 40', 42', 44', 46' forms a fliptop lid, which is hinged along a line 52 between the upper 42' and lower 42 portions of the rear wall. Cuts between the upper and lower portions of the front and side walls allow the lid to open. The corners 54a, b, between the side walls 44, 46 and the bottom wall 48 are rounded. This, as is best seen from Fig. 4, which shows a blank from which the pack of Fig. 3 may be formed, is achieved by creased zones between the lower side wall reinforcing flaps 56,58 and the bottom wall reinforcing flaps 60,62. When the pack is assembled, in a generally conventional manner, from the blank, the creased zones form the rounded corners 54a, b, between the side 44, 46 and bottom 48 walls. These rounded corners protect the smoker and his pockets in the same way as the truncated vertices of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. As can be seen in Fig. 5, the lid may also have rounded corners 64a, b, between the top wall 50 and the upper portions 44', 46' of the side walls of the pack. These may be achieved by the provision of creased zones (not shown) on the blank of Fig. 4 between the upper side wall reinforcing flaps 56', 58' and the top wall reinforcing flaps 66,68. Similarly, in the pack of Fig. 1, the vertices made by the upper portions 10', 12', 14', 16' of the front, rear and side walls with the top wall 18 may be truncated. It will be appreciated that the provision of blunt vertices is not restricted to flip-top packs, but may be applied to any type of rigid cigarette pack such as a slide and shell type pack. CLAIMS

1. A pack of smoking articles having a bottom end wall, a top end wall, side walls and front and rear walls, in which the vertices formed between at least one of the end walls, the side walls and the front and rear walls of the pack are blunt.

2. A pack according to claim 1 in which the vertices are truncated to render them blunt.

3. A pack according to claim 1, in which zones between at least one of the end walls of the pack and the side walls of the pack curve through substantially 90 to provide rounded corners on at least one end of the pack.

4. A pack according to any preceding claim in which the vertices between the bottom walls, the side wall and the front and rear walls are blunt.

5. A pack according to any preceding claim in which the vertices between the top wall, the side wall and the front and rear wall are blunt.

6. A blank for a pack according to any preceding claim.

7. A blank for a pack according to claim 3 having side wall reinforcing panels coextensive with end wall reinforcing panels which, in the assembled pack, lie on the inside of the side and end walls respectively, in which zones between the side wall reinforcing panels and the reinforcing panels of at least one end wall are creased transversely to the principal axis of the blank so that, in the assembled pack, the corners formed at the junction between the reinforcing panels are rounded.

8. A pack substantially as described with reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings.

9. A pack substantially as described with reference to Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings.

10. A blank substantially as described with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings.

11. A blank substantially as described with reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings.